Ribbon shirring device for sewing machines



Sept. 15, 1931. T. oN ElLL 1,823,505

RIBBON SHIRRING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 15, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet l gwumto'o 19 Sept. T QNElLL RIBBON SHIRRING DEVICE FORSEWING MACHINES Filed July 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pat ented Sept. 15,1931 Yemen STATES PATENT OFFICE ri i'oivms ONEILL, or BROOKLYN, NEWYORK, AssreNoB TO THE sINeE MANUEAc'rUB- I ING, CGMPANY, F ELIZABETH,NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY RIBBON snIBBINe nEvIcE EoBsEwINe MACHINES iApplication filed J'u1y 15, 1929. Serial NO. 378,196.

This invention-relates to improvements in shirring attachments forsewing machines and more particularly to attachments for shirringribbons and similar fabric strips.

' The present invention liasfor its primary 1 objects to proyide foreffecting a uniform quality of shirring' regardless of slight variationsinthe thickness ofthe work; topro- 'bvide for readily determiningdifferent degrees of shirringof the strip; topermit of stitchingtheshirred strip during the shirring operation 'to a' sleazy materialwithout puckering said material; and still further to. provideforreadily shirring strips of diff terent ,widths'in' the production ofshirring effects of different characters. I

f Inlthe shirring of fabric strips such as ribe f bons,-.dur1ngtheoperation ofstitching a r1bbon to'an unshirred body material, a prior 5practicehasbeento feed the strip to be Shirred 7 faster than theunshirred material by either ,retarding the passage-ofthe latter, as bymeansof atension; plate, or by wholly or in part removing: the,unshirred material I from the direct action. of the work-advancing tionof successive stitches. I

In a preferred'embodiment of the'present invention, the strip to beshirred is directed tothe stitch-formingmechanismby a ribbon-guidespaced above 'thebody material placed uponthe usual cloth-plate ofatwoneedle sewing machine. Fromsubstantially the point ofipenetration ofthe work by the needles, the strip to be shirred is directed at adownwardinclination toward the body material, whereby the length of thestrip between successive stitches is necessarily greater than thestitch-length as represented bythe advance, for each stitch of a bodymaterial effected by the actionof a,four-'motionfeeddog assisted,preferably,by lateral movements 7 of the needles whilelin the work."That the shirring effect uponthe fabric strip is uniform willbe'readilyunderstood-by considering the "downwardly inclined pathof the strip as acbnstant comprising the hypothenuse ofa right triangle of which ashorter side is the body material from the point of convergence of saidstrip therewith to the vertical line of one of the descending needles.

In the present embodiment of this improvement, the ribbon-guide isshaped to bow the strip or ribbon upwardly substantially centrally ofits width and is detachably carried by the sewing machine presser-footso as to be readily exchangeable with others of different contours andWidths. The extent of shirring of. the strip is adjustably determined bychanging the spacing of the strip from the body material at the needlepenetration point, but might obviously be obtained in other ways as, forinstance, by changing the angle of inclination at the delivery end ofthe guide. The presser-foot is constructed to provide spaced treadportions opposed to the feed- 'ing machine bracket-arm and of a portionof the cloth-plate, with the present improved I presser-foot and ribbonguide in front elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the presserfootand a portion of the cloth-plate. Fig. 3

is a view in side elevation ofthe present improved presser-foot, theneedle and thefeeddog, with a portion of thecloth-plate in section. Fig.4 is a sectional view substantially on the line Jr-4 of Fig. 2. Fi 5comprises perspective views of the individual parts of the presser-foot,including the ribbon-guide.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the feed-dog. Fig. 7 is a view of thedelivery'end of the strip-guide. 'Referrin to the/drawings, the presentimproved shirring device has been embodied'in a commercially well knownsewing machine having a work-support comprising: a clothplate 1 providedwith slide-plates 2 and .3 upon Opposite sides of a throat-plate 4.Over- 7 hanging the cloth-plate is a tubular bracketarm 5 terminating ina head 6, pivot ll porting a swinging frame 7. Journaled for endwiserec1prOcat1on in suitable bearings 1n the frame 7 1s a needle-bar 8,carrying at its f produced upon the ribbon.

port and thereby vary the shirring efl'ect By employing the compoundfeedcomprising the four-motion feed-dog and the feeding needles, thework-advance of both plies is definite for each stitch, incorrespondjusting means;

clined surface in the direction of feed ence with the selected length offeed obtainable by means of the usual stitch-length adguiding meansincluding a fabric-strip guide 'and a bevelled fabric-stripsupportingsurface inclined downwardlytoward said worksupport fromsubstantiallythepoint of penetration of said strip by the needle, and

means permitting adjustment of said. in-

relatively to said guide.

2. In a sewing 1nachine,'a work-support,

. Work-feeding means, a plurality of reciproca- I tory needles spacedcrosswise of and having laterallyvibrating movements in the line offeed, a presser-foot opposed to said workfeeding means rearward of thepath of said needles, and a guide terminating in advance of saidpresser-foot for supporting a, fabric strip in spaced relation to thework-support atthe point of penetration of said strip by the needles,the rearward end of said guide 7 having a strip-supporting surfaceinclined to said work-support between successlve points of penetrationof the work by said needles.

3. In a sewing machine, a horizontally disposed work-support, avertically reciprocatory needle, work-feeding means, a presserfoothaving a tread-block in'advance of the V needle, a guide sustained'bythe pre'sser-foot relation to the work-support at the needle Ipenetration point, an auxiliary presser-foot bearing upon the stitchedwork on the seam line thereof, and means for adjustably securing theauxiliary presser-foot upon the main presser-foot to thereby adjustablydetermine 7 the extent of Spacing of a d g de from the -work support; pe

5.; In a sewing machine, a work-support, a feed-dog projected above saidwork-support toadvance the work, a plurality of vertically reciprocatoryneedles spaced transversely of,

-, he di ectionof feed, a presser-foot having a tread-block in advance,ofthe needles ter- ,foot, saidpresser-foot having spaced tread portionsdisposed rearwardly of and subtread-block andv auxiliary 1 minating in adownwardly beveled portion provided with needle-slots, a fabric-stripedge guide detachably secured upon said treadblock to deliver a fabricstrip to the needles in spaced relationto said work-support, and anauxiliary presser-foot rearward of the needles; 1

6; In a sewing machine, awork-support, a feed-dog projected above saidwork-support to advancethe-work, a plurality of vertically reciprocatoryneedles spaced transversely of the direction of feed having lateralworkfeeding movements, a presser-foot having a tread-block'in advance ofthe needles terminating in a downwardly beveled portion provided withneedle-slots, a guide disposed upon said tread-block to deliveria'fabric strip to the needles in spaced relation to said worksupport,andan auxiliary presser-foot rearward of theneedles. v v

7. A sewing machine presser-foot comprising a shank provided with aforwardly extending supporting arm, a tread-block'securedupon said armvfor adjustmentlengthwise thereof having a downwardly inclined rearendprovided with parallel needle-slots spaced lengthwise of said inclinedend, and a'gu'ide disposed to direct the edges of a fabric strip overthe inclinedend, of the presserstantially in alinement with'saidneedle-slots. .8; A sewlng machine presser-foot comprising 'a'verticallydirected shankrprovided with horizontally disposed supporting arms, atread-block carried by said arms having spaced needle-slots in its rearend, a stripguide,"means for detachably securing said strip-guide inposition to overlie the treadblock, an auxiliary resser-foothav-ingspaced tread portions disposed rearwardly of and substantially inalinement with said needleslots, and means for securing said'auxiliarypresser-foot upon the presser-footshankfor vertical adjustment.

9. A sewing machine presser-foot comprising a vertically directedshankhaving forwardly extending spaced supporting-arms, a tread-blocksustained by said arms for adjustment lengthwise -tl161'80f and providedat its rearward end with spaced needle-slots, a strip-guide bowedupwardly substantially centrally of its length, and clamp-plates carriedby said arms for detachably securing the strip-guide in position tooverlie said tread-block.

v10. A sewing machine presser-foot comprising a vertically directedshank provided with forwardly extending spaced supporting arms, atread-block sustained by said arms terminating in a downwardly beveledrear end provided with spaced needle-slots, a strip-guide, means fordetachably securing said strip-guide in position to overlie thetread-block, and means for directing the 'l3o margins of a stripinassed' through said'guide downwardly over the beveled rear'end ofthetread-block. 1 V. 11; In a sewing machine, awork supports E areciprocatory needle,v workefeeding means, means for; supportingalfabric to he Shirred in spaced relation to said Work-supportat theneedlepenetration'point-,,means for'fdirectingsaid fabric doWntV-ardlytoward? the 1 "work support 1 from the needle-"penetration point,whereby thelength of the fabric-be? tween successive" needlepenetrations is r greater than the stitch-length, and .lneans forudjustably determining the height above the V worksupport of the fabricat the needle-11pmetration point. 7 v ,1 l

12. In asewing machine, a work-support, o a 'reeiprocatory needle, workfeeding means means for :g uiding a fabrivstrip in "a direc- 3 tioninclined to t-he Work-siipportjin the line of seam formationbetween:successive-points of penetration offthe fabric-strip by theneedle; vherebytheilengthiofjthefabricl v e V V V strip betweensuccessive needle penetrai I 28 tions therein is :greater than thestitched j t" length-and means for relatively shifting the needleandstrip-guidingmeans iz'n the .liIlQ'iOf seam form'ation' during-f astitchforming cycle toefi'ect the sec-tiring of the 3 fabric-striptollthe b'odyinaterial in con-v tacting "relationship therewith alongthe sea nline, I v V v or V. V InI-asevving machine,a'workesupport; t.a' re'ciprocatoryz:needle;feeding-means for 7 2 3B advancing a bodymater'ialin a direction substantially parallel with thewworksupport,

stiiip guiding means including-spaced substantially parallel guide-wallsproviding a -fabric-strip'passageway inelined tovthewo'rklsup port'inthelinefof seani formation heytween successive pointsjof penetration 0E1 the fabric-strip by the needle, whereby the length of the fabric-stripbetween successive l needle-penetrations L thereof is greater than thestitch length, and asstfip gnide for'd'i Lectingthe' longitudinal edgesof a fabric-V strip to said guiding'means. j

,In testimony Whereof,-' IhaVe signed my I name tov this specification.

y l .rTHOMAS'UNEILL;

